Gondola-car stake.



' PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. W. 0. MOODY & H. A. SIMMS.

GONDOLA GAR STAKE.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2a. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM O. MOODY AND HAROLD A. SIMMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GONDOLA-CAR STAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1 907.

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, I/VILLIAM O. MOODY and HAROLD A. SIMMs, c1tizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, Cook county,

Illinois, have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Gondola-Oar Stake, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in gondola cars which may be used for carrying bulk freight in one direction and lumber or the like in the other direction. In the latter case the load is piled high, reaching considerably above the sides of the car and necessitating the use of false or temporary stakes.

The object of this invention is to provide a gondola car with extensible stakes which when not in use shall be practically invisible, but which may be drawn up and secured in raised or extended position when the car is to be loaded with lumber.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an extensible car-stake whose length shall not materially exceed the length of the stakes belonging to the car structure, which may be raised and secured at any desired elevation within the limits of its length, which shall be of most s' nple construction, which shall be of low cost, and which may be operated by unskilled persons.

.A further and primary object of the invention is to provide an improved extensible carsta e which may be secured at successively extended or higher positions as'the car is loaded.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Our invention consists generally in an extensible car-stake of the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of an extensible car-stake embodying our invention, showing the same in use upon the inner side of a gondola car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car-stake. Fig. 3 is a top plan view; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on the line IV IV of Fig. 3, the retaining dog or pawl being shown in full lines.

1 indicates the side, and 2 one of the permanent stakes or posts, of a wooden gondola car. Said stake or post may be on either the inner or outer side of the car. As these stakes or posts do not project above the car sides, they have no utility for holding loads that may be piled above that line.

3 indicates a metallic sleeve or bottomless pocket for guiding and holding the extensionstake. This sleeve is rigidly secured to the side of the car and against the post 2 by two staple-bolts 4 4, which pass around both the sleeve and the post 2 and through the car side 1. The staples are drawn tight by nuts on the ends of the staples. The sleeve isheld against vertical displacement by its grooved ribs 3, in which the staple-bolts 4 are seated, and also by a lug 5, which projects from'one side of the sleeve into a hole in the wooden stake 2. This construction of the sleeve or guide and the manner of bolting the same to the car-body offer two special advantages: the structure has great strength and the cost of the stake-guide is reduced to a minimum, as by the use of staple-bolts all other lugs or bolts are dispensed with.

Our improved metallic stake 6 is designed for maximum strength in the direction of the stresses to which it will be subjected. Hence in its preferred form we manufacture it from a suitable length of channel or I beam, the stake being set with the web in the plane of said stress. The stake is loosely fitted in the guide 3 and is slidable therethrough. Its web 6 is provided at suitable distances with longitudinally arranged openings 7. As shown, a projection 7 is provided adjacent each said opening, the latter being, in fact, formed by the partial punching out of the portions 7. However, these projections need not be integral with the stake or its web, as blocks or other attachments may be employed as substitutes for such integral members. Furthermore, the projections may be dispensed with, as explained herebelow.

The guide-sleeve 3 is provided with a movable dog 8, the function of which is to hold the stake at several different heights. As shown in the drawings, this dog is of greater width than the openings 7, therefore cannot enter them, but engages the projections 7, and thereby supports the stake. By reducing the width of this dog or its end, so that it will enter the stake-openings 7, the proj ections may be dispensed with.

We prefer to pivot the dog 8 upon one leg of one of the staple-bolts l, as shown. This arrangement obviates the use of a separate pin or pivot member. To receive the dog, the adjacent wall of the guide 8 is provided with a suitable slot 3" which extends high enough to permit the dog to be retracted within the thickness of said. wall, and the dog is made of such length that when it is turned back its upper end will strike the upper bolt 4 and be stopped thereby.

We have provided suitable means for preventing the complete removal or loss oi" the metal stake from its guide. Various devices may be employed for this purpose, but none is more simple than that shown in Fig. 4-. ol the drawings. The lower end of the stakeweb 6 is provided with a lateral projection 6", which is easily formed by cutting that ortion of the web free of the flanges and ending it to one side. When the stake is raised, its teeth 7 strike and turn aside the dog 8, which then by gravity passes under one of them, as shown, locking the stake in raised position. When the stake is almost withdrawn from the guide, this projection 6 will strike a heel 8, formed upon the inner side of the dog 8, and even ii the dog be turned back (see dotted lines in Fig. 4) against the bolt 4 the heel 8 will prevent further elevation of the stake. In its normal position the heel permits the passage of the lugs or teeth 7 when the stake is raised or lowered, but always prevents the complete removal of the stake. Obviously the long lug 6 at the top of the stake prevents loss of the stake when used on the outer side of the car. If, however, it becomes necessary to remove the stake from the car, it can be done by drawing out the upper staple-bolt i and throwing the dog 8 outwardly, whereby the heel 8 will stand clear of the path of the part.

6 of the stake. T o facilitate the withdrawal of the dog 8 when the stake is to be lowered, the dog is provided with a handleas, for example, the lug 8 shown in Fig. 4.

The upper end of each stake is provided with one or more holes 9, to which a wire or cable passing across and over the freight to an opposite stake may be attached. One short sleeve is su'l'licie'nt for guiding this stake, as when the upper end of the stake is pressed outwardly its lower end will simply bear against the load in the car or against the side of the car in cases where the extension-stake is applied to the outer side of the car. Full lateral support in the other direction is provided by the contiguous stake or post 2.

As various modifications of our invention will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art, we do not confine the invention to the specific constructions herein shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A car, in combination with an extensionstake guide on the side thereof, an extensioni stake vertically movable in said guide and a dog pivoted on said guide for engagement with said stake at different elevations, substantially as described.

2. A car side and stake, in combination with an extension-stake guide secured to said side and stake, an extension-stal e movable '11 said guide and means for securing the stake therein in different elevations, substantially as described.

3. A car side and stake, in comblnation with an extension-stake gulde secured to said side and stake, an extension-stake movablein said guide and a dog pivoted on said guide for engagement with said extension-stakes, substantially as described.

4. A car side, in combination with an eX- tension-stake guide thereon, an extensionstake vertically movable in said guide and provided with a plurality of shoulders or projections and a dog or pawl on said guide for engagement with. said stake, substantially as described.

5. A car side, in combination with an extension-stake guide thereon, an extensionstake vertically movable in said guide and provided with short intermediate shoulders or projections and long end shoulders or projections, a dog pivoted on said guide for engagement with the short projections of said stake and cooperating with said long extensions to prevent the withdrawal of the stake with said guide, substantially as described.

6. A car side, in combination with an extension-stake guide, staple-bolts securing said guide on the car side and provided with an opening in its side, a dog or pawl pivoted on one of said staple-bolts and an eXtension-stake engaged with said pawl within said guide, substantially as described.

7. A car side and stake, in combination with an extension-stake guide engaged with the car side and stake staple-bolts passing around said stake-guide and secured in the car side and an extension-stake vertically movable in said guide, substantially as described.

8. A car side and stake, in combination with an extension-stake guide engaged with the car side and stake staple-bolts passing around said stake-guide and secured in the car side, an extension-stake vertically mov- IIO able in said guide and a pivotal dog or pawl engaged with said extension-stake, substantially as described.

9. A car side and stake, in combination with an extension-stake guide engaged with the car side and stake staple-bolts passing around said stake-guide and secured in the car side, an extension-stake vertically movable in said guide and a dog or pawl pivotally attached to said guide and engaged with said extension-stake, substantially as described.

10. A car side, in combination with an eX tension-stake guide, bolts interlocked with said guide and fastening the same on the car side, a swinging pawl pivoted on one of said bolts, another of said bolts serving as a stop i or said pawl and an extension-stake vertically movable in said guide and engaged with said pawl, substantially as described.

11. A car, in combination with a metallic stake-guide rigidly secured to the side there of, said guide being provided with a pivotal dog or pawl, a metallic stake vertically movable in said guide, and said stake being pro vided with spaced means for engagement by said dog, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12 A metallic stake-guide, in combination with a gravity-dog provided therein, a vertically-movable metallic stake and long and short spaced means on said stake for engagement by said dog, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. A car, in combination with a metallic stakeguide, rigidly secured thereto, a metallic stake held in said guide, said stake being provided at or near its lower end with a stop; and a dog having normally limited movement, held by the stake-guide and preventing withdrawal of the stake from said guide, substantially as described.

14. In a gondola car, a rigidly-secured flanged metal bar, the web portion of which is provided with a longitudinal series of openings and projections, substantially as described.

17. A car-stake guide, consisting of a metallic sleeve having a rectangular opening in its side and provided with grooves for the reception of staple-bolts, substantially as described.

18. A car-stake, consisting of a metallic sleeve having a rectangular opening in its side and provided with grooves for the reception of staple-bolts, in combination with a stake-holding dog or pawl, substantially as described.

19. A car-stake, consisting of a metallic sleeve having a rectangular opening in its side and provided with grooves for the reception of staple-bolts, in combination with a stake-holding dog or pawl, and bolts, on one of which said pawl is provided, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands, this 20th day of October, 1906,

in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

1W1. O. MOODY. HAROLD A. SIMMS. Witnesses F. G. KNIGHT, K. M. IMBODEN. 

